Atchison County SO to Host Teen Training

A northwest Missouri law enforcement agency wants to educate area teenagers on how to act if they find themselves in a situation involving a hostile intruder.

The Atchison County Sheriff’s Office will hold an ALiCE Training session at 5 p.m. on August 6th at the Liberty Theatre in Rock Port. ALiCE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. Devon Sons is an Atchison County deputy, and will be conducting the training program.

Sons tells KMA News the session will be geared towards kids in junior high and high school.

“It’s a program for hostile intruder response,” Sons said. “Whether it’s an active shooter, someone with a knife, or an explosion, how do we train people to respond to a situation like that.”

Sons says the sheriff’s office wants the area youth to be prepared with a proper plan of action if they find themselves in a serious situation.

“The Ariana Grande concert is a big one for me because that is the reason we’re hosting the program on August 6th for teens specifically,” Sons said. “These kids in our area are going to malls, baseball games, concerts, and just all over the place. It could happen at any of these attractions.”

“I’ve been around training schools, banks, other businesses, and we even have a program for churches,” Sons said. “It’s something that is a passion for me personally because my wife is a teacher. I want to equip her with the knowledge of what to do in a situation. We’re really trying to get out in our communities and spread it.”

Sons says parents are encouraged to attend the event as well. The Liberty Theatre is located at 417 South Main Street in Rock Port. For more information on the ALiCE Training, contact the Atchison County Sheriff’s Office at 660-744-6271.